1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to nozzles. More particularly, the present invention relates to spray nozzles for causing two fluids to mix together.
2. Discussion of Background:
Spray nozzles for mixing fluids are well known. Numerous U.S. patents disclose spray nozzles that mix liquids, liquids and gases, particularly liquids with air and air and combustible gas.
In Ii, U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,923, and Masai, U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,086, nozzles are described for atomizing fluids by passing a liquid through a swirling gas. In Masai, the gas is conically swirled by a series of vanes along the face of the nozzle end as liquid is ejected into the gas flow.
Mastenbrook, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,241,135, discloses a nozzle device for producing a highly combustible mixture of air and gas for introduction into the combustion chamber of a furnace. The apparatus introduces gas or vaporized oil from a central sleeve into a chamber. The central sleeve is surrounded by a series of spiral vanes that in combination introduce swirling air into the chamber.
Another nozzle that provides a mixture for introduction to a combustion chamber is described in Watkins' U.S. Pat. No. 2,878,065. His nozzle is a liquid fuel discharge nozzle that supplies liquid tangentially to the combustion chamber. The single housing nozzle has a conical swirl chamber with a fuel passageway that delivers a liquid fuel into a swirling air current supplied through an annular air passage formed by a grooved housing to direct the air in a swirling motion.
Peeps, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,895,685, and Reichenbach, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,547,349, disclose spray nozzles that are used to mix air with paint or other liquids prior to dispensing the paint. In Peeps, the nozzle divides a stream of air into a plurality of annular jets that are directed to converge radially toward the longitudinal axis of a central spray nozzle. The nozzle disclosed in Reichenbach consists of a tapered inner member and a tapered outer member. The use of ribs on the exterior of the outer member to induce a helical path for the air is disclosed.
Despite existing nozzle designs for mixing fluids, it is believed that there are no nozzles that use interleaved flow vanes and narrowing channels to swirl and accelerate one fluid into another to bring about their mixing and there remains a need for efficient, two fluid mixing in a number of applications.